Plains Indian ledger art grew out of the Native tradition of recording and chronicling throughart important exploits by warriors and chiefs, among them images of war and hunting, thatwould adorn tipis and animal hides. These were seen as historical markers. But Native life onthe Great Plains underwent tremendous change following the American Civil War, when theAmerican conquest of the West was in full gear. In just a few decades, access to the hides ofdiminishing herds of bison, deer, antelope, and elk became more difficult and eventuallyimpossible with reservation life. Native people creatively turned to the easily available ledgerbooks of settlers, traders, and military men as their new canvases.The ledger art drawings of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are revered todayfor their depiction of Native life during the difficult transition to life on the reservation. Theledger drawings thus became a singularly important way for Native artists to preserve tribalhistory and to serve as a new kind of personal socio-political expression.Dwayne Wilcox, who grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation and is a member of the OglalaLakota Nation, became interested in ledger art at an early age. He was influenced by the workof Lakota ledger artists such as Amos Bad Heart Bull (1869-1913), but he always sought todefy stereotypical notions of Native life and history and create his own artistic vision. Dwayneeventually focused on humor as his way to comment on the objectification of NativeAmericans. Skilled as an artist beyond measure, Dwayne's ledger art drawings win majorprizes and are sought by museums and collectors who see in him a true artist.Visual/Language is Dwayne's first book, and it was created as a collaborative effort withcurator Karen Miller Nearburg, who provides an enlightening introduction to his work. Thisbook will surely penetrate the heart and soul and mind of all who read it.